Cyril Axelrod

Father Cyril Bernhard Axelrod, , CSsR (born 24 February 1942) is a deafblind Catholic priest of the Redemptorist Order, known for his work with deaf and deafblind people. He has ministered to the deaf and deafblind around the world, including in South Africa, China and the United Kingdom. In 2014 he became the first deafblind person to become an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Biography Cyril Axelrod was born as Sheftil Binyamin ben Avram Abba on 24 February 1942 in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was born profoundly deaf to hearing parents who were Orthodox Jewish. His grandfather was a rabbi, and his parents spoke Yiddish, with little knowledge of English.

He attended St. Vincent's School for the Deaf in Johannesburg. He decided to become a priest when he noticed fellow deaf people at Mass who could not understand what the priest was saying.

His new parish would consist of the deaf people throughout South Africa, using eight indigenous sign languages. Axelrod was dismayed to find black deaf children in South Africa, some as old as 15, who were unable to read, write or sign as a result of discriminatory education policies. Axelrod also encouraged the adoption of one universal sign language in South Africa to promote opportunities for black deaf South Africans. In 2013 he made the news in South Africa when Comair staff would not let him board a flight alone because of his deafblindness, even though Axelrod had traveled independently for many decades; Comair later offered to provide a guide to travel with Axelrod for free.

Axelrod published an autobiography in 2005, And the Journey Begins, which describes his difficult childhood, his spiritual journey, and his pastoral ministry. A book of his paintings was published in 2020, titled Light in silent darkness. He was pictured wearing tefilin and holding a replica Torah scroll.

Honors

Gallaudet College awarded Axelrod the Edward Minor Gallaudet Award in 1982 for his work in promoting "the well-being of deaf people of the world." Axelrod received an honorary doctorate from Gallaudet University in 2001. Axelrod was the first deafblind person to have received that honor.